If Each State Had an Official Word, This Would Be It

This is interesting. Slate came up with official words or slang terms that help define each state. Some of them make sense and others seem to have make no sense at all.

Alabama
cattywampus (adjective): crooked, tipped over, sideways, crazy, messed up
Who came up with this cattywampus campaign slogan?

Alaska
sourdough (noun): a longtime resident of Alaska
That sourdough is super old and kind of smelly, but he’s got a good heart.

Arizona
snowbird (noun): a visitor who flocks to Arizona to escape the cold winter elsewhere
Here are two things that snowbirds love: playing golf terribly and telling everybody back home that it’s “a dry heat.”

Arkansas
tump (verb): to tip over or dump out
We’re about to hit this bump, so hold your drink or it will tump.

California
hella (adverb): very or extremely; (adjective): many, much, a lot of
That telenovela is hella melodramatic.

Idaho
whistle pig (noun): a prairie dog
I tried to chase down the whistle pig in the yard, but it dove into a hole and disappeared.

Illinois
grabowski (noun): a hard-working, tough, blue-collar individual
A true grabowski has no time for your linguistic squabbles.

Indiana
Hoosier (noun): Someone from or living in the state of Indiana, or a country bumpkin, depending on who is using the word and how.
This is an example of how to use “Hoosier” in a sentence when you are not from Indiana and don’t really understand this whole thing and are afraid of angering people by crafting something that will be offensive in some way.

Michigan
yooper (noun): a person from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Michigan state trooper pulled over the speeding yooper.

Minnesota:
uff da (expression): a brief statement of surprise or disgust
Uff da, was Jesse Ventura really the governor at one point?

Mississippi
nabs (noun): peanut butter crackers
I’ve got tabs on the nabs, so they are not up for grabs.

Missouri
Missouri (noun): a state name that has four different pronunciations
How do you say Missouri properly?

Montana
graupel (noun): snow-like precipitation that resembles tiny ice balls
That rain was pretty annoying, but this graupel that stings when it hits you is just absurd.

Nebraska
runza (noun): a pastry consisting mainly of ground beef and cabbage
Runzas seem like they would be completely gross, but they are surprisingly delectable.

Nevada
pogonip (noun): a dense, icy fog
Whatever you do, never attempt to use a pogo stick in the pogonip.

New Hampshire
poky (adjective): scary or eerie
I can’t decide whether that Donald Trump impersonator is hokey or poky.

New Jersey
jug handle (noun): an intersection that forces you to turn right in order to turn left
Why can’t Springsteen call up Christie and have him do something about all these stupid jug handles in Jersey?

New Mexico
christmas (noun): green and red chili mix
Please pass the christmas—these chips could use some flavor!

New York
mad (adverb): very, exceptionally; (adjective): many or several
De Blasio seems mad chill.

North Carolina
Cackalacky (noun): another name for North Carolina
I had a massive stomachache following our epic road trip to Cackalacky for some pulled-pork sandwiches.

North Dakota
hotdish (noun): a casserole
Trish knew her hotdish was delish.

Ohio
carry-in (noun): a potluck dinner
What sort of casserole are you going to bring to Carrie Ann’s carry-in?

Oklahoma
quakenado (noun): an earthquake that occurs at the same time as a tornado
This quakenado could really use some sharks.

Oregon
jojos (noun): potato wedges
Guests at the dinner party reported that Joe’s jojos were just so-so.

Pennsylvania
yinz (noun): you all, you guys
If yinz people from Philly were making this list then maybe you could have gotten “jawn” on here, or something about cheesesteaks, but those are the breaks.